Mass Effect: Birth of a Shepard
by RockyTheRock
Summary: In the colony of Mindoir, a married couple are waiting for the birth of their son. However, after experiencing a traumatic event, fear of losing their child plagued their mind. Is their fear unfounded or could they lose their child before he is even born?


**Mass Effect**

**Birth of a Shepard**

**By RockyTheRock**

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_**Author Notes: To start off, I want to say thank you for checking out my fan fiction. It has been more than a year since I was exposed to the amazing works made by awesome fanfic writers. After reading these countless stories, I decided to contribute my own story. Originally, this was going to be part of a larger fanfic that I am currently writing, but it didn't fit into how I was going to tell my story. So consider this a one-shot prequel to my upcoming fanfic, which is it self a prequel to the Mass Effect original trilogy. This is my first fan fiction, so please review my story.**_ _**Enjoy!**_

_**Special thanks to my best friend, Yoselin Lopez, the first person to have read my work.**_

_**Based on the universe of "Mass Effect" created by Bioware**_

**In the year 2149, Humanity had ventured into the furthest stars using the Mass Relay, mysterious artifacts left by an ancient spacefaring civilization. Faced with the unknown, the nations of Earth had created the Systems Alliance. In the years that followed, the Alliance began a rapid campaign of expansion by establishing numerous colonies. Among these settled worlds, there lay a small colony on Mindoir and in this colony…**

**A legend will be born.**

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"Are you ok?" Hannah Shepard asked her husband, Benito Shepard, who appears to be anxious about something. She joins him in the living room's couch.

"Yeah I'm good." he replied to his lovely pregnant wife, trying to hide his worries from her. Hannah looks at him questionably. "Well you look awfully anxious for a guy who said he's good. Are you worried about the baby?"

Benito nodded. He admits that he was worried. It all started when an element zero freighter exploded near the colony months ago. Fortunately, the ship exploded far away from Mindoir. So the deadly cloud of element zero didn't spread all over the colony, but it did spread enough that a few number of colonists were exposed. Unfortunately, Hannah was among one of the few. Ever since then, he and Hannah were worried about the baby's health. It didn't help that they heard horror stories of children being exposed to eezo in uterus; children developing symptoms from cancer to organ damage, birth damage, birth defects and even spontaneous abortion. That last part nearly scared Hannah half to death.

He remembered finding her in the nursery, crying. He comforted her, when she expressed her fear of losing the baby. He reassured her that that was not going to happen. Benito made sure that he stayed strong for Hannah; despite sharing the same fear as her. They continued seeing their friend, Dr. Amanda Wong, for a regular check-up. Amanda helped them lessens their fear by confirming that the baby shown no signs of birth defects. It helped the couple tremendously for these past few months. Now, the couple remains happy and excited for the new member of the family to arrive soon. However, deep down, Benito feared for the worst.

"Hannah, I'm sorry, but I just can't help but worry about the baby." He said, defeated.

"I know, but I also how strong you were for me, when I was scared." Hannah said, sympathetic. "Listen, no matter happens we're in this together, for better or worse." She continued. They hold each other closely together, never wanting to let go until they both fell asleep.

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The next day, Benito was out on the field to start his daily work; mid-day, riding the tractor, he heard his wife shouting out his name. He jumped off the tractor and started running toward the house.

Her abdomen and lower back throbbed with sharp pain and she felt like the life was being squeezed out of her. Her heartbeat quickened. It was time.

"Benito!" she called out. Finally, the front door open and her husband appeared by her side.

"Hannah, what's wrong?"

"It's time…I'm having the baby," Hannah breathed out, trying to speak in spite of the squeezing in her abdomen. She put her hand below her belly, trying to breathe like she'd been taught.

Benito took her to their hover-car and went down to the local hospital. They threw Hannah into a gown immediately on arrival and wheeled her on a gurney to a room where they transferred her to a bed. Their friend, Dr. Wong, came in the room to help the mother delivered the child.

Hannah's mind was dominated by the process of labor. The nurses gave her medication for the pain, making everything a whole lot easier. Benito held her hand and urged her to push when the doctor gave him the go ahead.

Hannah continues to be laboring to deliver their child. Her long black hair was spread out as sweat bathed her light brown skin. Worry showed upon his features. Alert brown eyes watched anxiously as his wife attempt to deliver their child. He squeezed his wife's hand. "Hannah, my love, please push. Please." Pain and exhaustion contorted her exquisite face. Tears leaked from her eyes. "I can't!"

Benito could not let her falter, not when they were so close to achieving what they had hoped and planned for. After everything that has happened, they would not lose their child. He sought to lend her whatever strength and encouragement he could.

"Push!" he repeated. Hannah gritted her teeth, managed another heroic effort...

...And gave birth to a baby boy. A shock of black hair, as dark as his father's,

_Our son_, Benito thought.

"That's it, he's out! Hannah, you did it! You did it!" he said to his wife.

Dr. Wong gently lifted the baby cradling it as securely as she could. Benito was deeply moved by the sight of the child, even more than he had anticipated, the cries of a newborn infant echoed off the venerable walls of the hospital room.

We did it, Benito thought in triumph. We truly did it.

He beamed at Hannah, sharing with her a moment of undiluted joy. Her pain was already starting to fade, replaced by joy, she thanks god that there was nothing wrong with her son. She reached for the newborn that was being cleansed and treated by the medical team. She stretched out her arms toward her child - Her son.

"He's beautiful," Benito said. "He's perfect."

"He looks just like his father." She said, prideful.

Holding her son in her arms, she gazed down at him warmly, smiling despite her exhaustion. Sitting beside her, Benito thought she had never looked so lovely, so radiant.

"What should we call him?" Hannah asked.

Benito was pondering on the question. Originally, he considered naming the child, John, after Hannah's father. However, he found the name to be repetitive. He could name 10 people that have the same name; hundreds more if you count the ones from the vids. After much time thinking, he came up with a name. "How about we call him Rene?" he asked.

"Why? Isn't that a girl's name?" she said, curiously.

He laughs at the misconception. "No, you're thinking of _Renee_. Rene without the extra e is a boy's name." he said. "Anyways, I thought we might name him after an ancestor of mine." He continued. "During the early 1800's, his father, Abel Cortés, moved to New Spain to start a new life there. His wife gave birth to their son in their new home and named him Rene. To them, the child represented the new beginning for them: a new life, a new family."

Hannah looked at her newborn as she pondered on the suggestion. She lightly touched the baby's nose. "_Rene. Rene Shepard._ I like it. 'Rene." She smiles at her child, who was quiet and peaceful. The newly made parents continued to watch their newborn son, unaware of what fate has in store for him.

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**This ismy first attempt at fan fiction so let me know what your thoughts about it so far. Constructive criticism is welcomed, but don't be too harsh, because I'm new at this. I would appreciate any advice you may have that can help me improve myself as a writer. I'm currently working on my next fanfic and hope to see it published in two weeks. ****Thank you for reading.**


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